The 10 Strongest Housing Markets…Which Are In North Carolina and South Carolina?

As you know, I go through mountains of information each week to keep on top of new developments and trends in the Carolinas, so I can report back to you on the Best Places to Relocate or Retire to in North Carolina or South Carolina.

Business Week had 2 studies done:

The first was The 40 Strongest U.S. Metropolitan Economies.

They were trying to identify the metropolitan areas across the country that have managed to stay out of the recession's path and are possibly poised for a recovery.

It was based on job growth, employment, economic growth, and housing prices.

In the Carolinas, we find

• Columbia, South Carolina at #14 and;
• Raleigh/Cary, North Carolina at #30

Next week, I'll tell you why everyone is talking about Columbia!

The second study Business Week had done was, The 10 Strongest U.S. Housing Markets.

In this study, they identified some smaller metropolitan areas where things were a bit safer based on the fact they never experienced the rampant appreciation that peaked in 2005, and therefore never experienced the bursting of the bubble.

So today they're still experiencing appreciation, even if it's only modest.

Factors such as the percentage of homes in the market that appreciated, and the percentage of increase in the median home price, were taken into account.

College towns and military towns did pretty well, based on the fact that jobs in those areas have been fairly reliable during this period. I can only believe it reveals a good strategy for those of us needing to work during retirement. Consider Small Towns and College Towns!

I have written about both relocating to College Towns in North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as relocating to quaint Small Towns, in previous Blog Posts and in the numerous Articles available on this site.

In the Carolinas,

• Spartanburg, South Carolina was #2
• Fayetteville, North Carolina was #5
• Burlington, North Carolina was #9
• Jacksonville, North Carolina was #12
• Durham, North Carolina was #20
• Greenville, South Carolina was #24
• Greensboro, North Carolina was #26
• Sumter, South Carolina was #30

As far as I'm concerned, that's outstanding!

Read about other Best Places to Retire or Relocate to in North Carolina or South Carolina by clicking on Best Places NC or Best Places SC.

About the Author

Bob  Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location anyalyst for major corporations and been researching the growth of NC and SC to find those areas which are affordable. Visit his blog-The Carolina Report and signup free to  get blog updates by email, along with free advice on how to relocate or retire in the Carolinas, additional resources, and a lot more!  Go now to www.placesofvalue.com.  Bob does not sell real estate.

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